Dems Shift Strategy to Speed Troop Pullout

Democrats in Congress are pinning their hopes on what they believe is the most politically palatable way to speed the withdrawal of troops from Iraq in the wake of Gen. Petraeus’ report last week. A bill mandating that troops be allowed to spend the same amount of time at home as on their most recent tour before redeploying looks close to winning enough GOP support to pass, backers tell the New York Times.

The proposal by Sen. Jim Webb fell just 4 votes short of passing in July, and several Rebuplicans who voted against it then have indicated that they may get on board.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates responded by saying that the “well-intentioned” proposal would “stress the force and reduce its combat effectiveness.” (More Iraq stories.)